Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History 1929 The Ambassador Bridge Opens The commencement ceremony was held for the Ambassador Bridge on November 11th. Large crowds of 50,000 gathered on the Canadian side and possibly up to 100,000 on the American side. Sirens were sounded from 1 factories and a plane dropped balloons over the center of the bridge. Politicians from both cities gave speeches about the importance of the bridge and the unity it would bring the two cities and countries. After completion, they crossed the bridge and gave the same speech on the other side. When the ribbon was cut spectators from both sides rushed to the center of the bridge and filled it almost completely. Cornelius L. Henderson, an African American architect, helped design the 2 Ambassador Bridge and later designed the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. 3 1 Ambassador Bridge Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University 12315_vmc 2 Traffic on the Bridge Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University 28245_4_vmc_ 3 Cornelius L. Henderson From the Collections of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) restricts photocopying or reproduction of copyrighted material for anything other than “fair use.” “Fair use” includes private study, scholarship, research and non-profit educational purposes. If you wish to use an image from this website for a purpose other than “fair use” it is your responsibility to obtain permission from the copyright holder. While many images on this website are in the public domain, some are not. Please consult the credit lines provided for each image. 1 1929 The Ambassador Bridge Opens Credits: Mason, Philip P. The Ambassador Bridge: A Monument to Progress. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1987. Keywords/Topics: Questions: 1. Why was the Ambassador Bridge important? 2. Is the Ambassador Bridge still as important as it was in 1929? 3. Have you been on the Ambassador Bridge or the Tunnel? Did you like it? Links to Internet Websites: http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9618_11088---,00.html http://www.answers.com/topic/cornelius-langston-henderson http://www.ambassadorbridge.com/ 2 1929 The Ambassador Bridge Opens Walter P. Reuther, Wayne State University 12315_vmc Construction of the Ambassador Bridge began in 1927 and was completed in 1929. At its opening, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge is 7500 feet in length and its longest span is 1859 feet. The bridge allows Americans and Canadians to hold international jobs. Today, the Ambassador Bridge makes more than 100,000 jobs possible. 3 1929 The Ambassador Bridge Opens Walter P. Reuther, Wayne State University 28245_4_vmc The opening of the Ambassador Bridge excited thousands of people. It’s opening solidified relations between Detroit and Windsor, and symbolized relations between the United States and Canada. 4 1929 The Ambassador Bridge Opens From the Collections of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History Cornelius Henderson was born in 1888 in Detroit. He attended the University of Michigan and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. When racial tensions in Detroit kept him from finding work, he moved to Canada and found work at the Canadian Bridge Company. He worked there for 47 years. 5 .